The following is an interview with James and John Coats regarding the comic book series, Dino Beasts. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with the Coats about the inspiration behind the series, their shared creative process in bringing the story to life, the impact that Dino Beasts may have with readers, and more!

I have always really loved the film, Napoleon Dynamite. It came out when I was a teen, and I saw it in the tiny, independent movie theater in my hometown. I think my brother and I saw it three times in theaters; we liked it so much - the subtlety of the humor, the slightly retro vibe. It was also made by a couple of Mormon kids which we were at the time. It was a pop culture phenomenon I could finally talk about openly at church without getting unsolicited opinions from overly righteous adults. We were borderline obsessed. At one point when I was in Idaho (were they filmed the movie), I went and drove by some of the houses and locations, including what used to be a Liger farm. I also ate a lot of tater tots. So, it's safe to say I am, and always have been, a fan which is why I was so excited to read this new story, Napoleon Dynamite: Impeach Pedro.

Walt Simonson is a revered Norse king in the comics industry. The writer/artist has had impressive runs on DC and Marvel titles ranging from Detective Comics and Thor to The Fantastic Four and X-Factor. His extraordinary storytelling skills and bold linework have earned him astounding praise from not only a diverse and devoted fanbase, but award slangin’ critics.

I was thrilled to see a new Nailbiter title in the queue from Image Comics. If you don’t know, Nailbiter is the absolutely epic, three-volume tale about a town, Buckaroo, Oregon, that has a dark past of being the birthplace of sixteen infamous serial killers, the Buckaroo Butchers. The most well known of those serial killers is the Nailbiter. The mythology that our hero police officers and FBI agents dug into throughout the first series was just as deep and complex as the characters themselves.

Issue #12 of Steven Prince’s Monster Matador closed one era for his bullfighter-turned-demon slayer Ramon, when he finally recognized that his beloved daughter Adelita would be safer with her uncle instead of traveling the road by his side. His mission has not changed, and Ramon’s adventures continue in Tango of the Matadors!

While the world is rightfully staying inside, many forms of entertainment have chosen to be safe and take a bit of time away from the world until things are able to done in a way that doesn't endanger themselves or others. One of those teams happen to be from Critical Role, the online juggernaut that focuses mostly on long-running Dungeons & Dragons campaigns that has given fans thousands of hours of content to enjoy and be moved by. After partnering with Dark Horse Comics, the team took their incredibly popular first campaign, focused on the group of disparate idiots that eventually became the legendary Vox Machina, into a new medium that focused on the adventures the players had with their characters before they became a viewable show. This brings about a fun irony, as Vox Machina: Origins shows the titular group before they were legends, bringing to life the stories of the Critical Role cast before they themselves became legends in their own right.

The nitty-gritty: In BOOM!’s second Slayer anthology, we’re technically introduced to three Slayers, though one of them should seem rather familiar, especially if you’re up to date with the whole Hellmouth series. In this new series, we meet a version of Buffy, presumably the version that BOOM!-Buffy met in the Hellmouth. We are also introduced to a Filipino Slayer that was depicted on the Chosen One variant for Buffy #5. And finally, we meet an Irish Slayer who encounters the legacy of a particular dark and handsome vampire.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was about the ambition of science, about playing god, and about how humans are more monsters than the monsters they create. These themes have resided comfortably in fiction ever since, from Blade Runner to just about every zombie story ever written. Mike Mignola’s Hellboy has always been about fitting in, the monsters we have within us, and the internal and external fight against those monsters. Frankenstein Undone is the border between these two worlds, the crossing of these themes, and a conversation between creators and it fits like a glove. #StoriesMatter because they allow us to feed off previous stories and reflect on what matters to us in new stories.

The team of Evan Dorkin and Veronica and Andy Fish are spinning a tale with multiple threads that inevitably will continue after next issue’s conclusion. There are just too many things at play, and they are all wonderful. I would hate to see any of them get short shrift.